11/02/2026 To the Beach

Unlike the previous days which started with heat and humidity today started with oppressive heat and humidity. Lovely. We kind of had a half-arsed plan to have a look around some of the Northern Suburbs but there wasn't a lot of practicality to that. As it turns out, we had a day out that thankfully didn't involve too much walking, in among the "normal" people of Brisbane.

Breakfast was a pretty average experience, I think it was a corporate type cafe with lots of suits around. I absolutely refused to pay $20 for two eggs on toast, so this is what $10 toast and jam looks like.

And $12 banana bread that was tasteless and doughy. Plus the coffee took ages to arrive. We were very near to the Sugar n Spice cafe we went a few days ago but that had a line out the door, so we chose to skip it. We chose poorly.

The corporate hub of Brisbane. Maybe, lots of suits and office type buildings, and a drugged out couple dancing and twirling across the grass.

We managed to miss the train we were aiming for by seconds and the next was a half hour wait. Usually not a big deal but it was so damn hot in the station we took a train that kind of took us in the same direction, with a bus to finish the trip. We got off at Petrie which I only assume they used as inspiration for Mad Max, or maybe The Walking Dead. It was a bit desolate. Next was a bus ride that took an hour through suburbia, sitting near some woman who demanded anyone who got on to stop looking at her, and an elderly bloke who produced the most frequent and ample burps we've ever heard. 

Getting off at Redcliffe we noticed there were some amazing clouds, or as a Redditor put it "a 22 degree halo and a circumhorizontal arc" I've never seen any so clear and large before. Before I could get a better shot away from buildings and trees with my grown-up camera they had dissipated. Right place at the right time.

Despite only being a couple of photos after breakfast, this was a few hours later so time for lunch. Classic Aussie chicken schnitzel, which was pretty damn average. It would have been okay but I'd had the one from the Colombian place the other night which was so much better.

Right next to us was Bee Gees Way - a pretty neat memorial to the Gibb brothers who spent their early years in Redcliffe. Neither of us are fans of their music but it was an interesting walk along reading about their achievements etc.

And because the weather demanded it, we went to the beach, but not in the water. Way too many sharks, jellyfish, snakes, spiders and venomous fish to be messing about in the water.

This was a strange area, it should have been busy as anything, and full of brand new developments but it was just a sleepy, mid-1900's rural township with some art deco facades and very few tourists.

Maybe because it's a bit of a pain in the ass to get to, and very seasonal although you'd think even during mid-week it would have been busy.

The ice cream shop embraced the 1950's feel, if only they embraced decent ice-cream. It just tasted like overly sweet sugar.

We did a bit of planning and worked out the most efficient way to get back to the hotel, and on the way experienced the most excellent bus driver. Behind us was a bunch of high school boys, including an excitable one who had a high pitched pubescent voice which meant everyone in the bus got to share in his conversation. Until we came to a red light and the driver turned around, looked over his glasses and made it very clear nobody else wanted to hear what he had to say, have some consideration and be quiet.

Brilliant.

Next was the train, which had young woman who was a compelling case for the destruction of all social media platforms. I swear I could feel my brain cells dying just overhearing her phone call. All "brah" and "she's got an open relationship but hasn't posted it yet" and "he can go back to jail for another 20 years". Compelling stuff.

People in Brisbane have a fantastic habit of waiting for people to get off trains and busses before getting on. So when we got out at Central Station at 5pm there was an utter wall of people waiting to get on - and nobody moved! There was a gap between the masses for us to leave through, and everyone just waited. It's like being in a city of grown-ups!

For the first time we got back to the hotel before dark and not at the point of utter exhaustion, so it was time for a swim! The water wasn't as warm as Buzios but it was warm enough to just slide in and relax.

I also found it was quite challenging to get a selfie underwater. Who would have thought?

Dinner was at a local Italian restaurant, supposedly Street Food but I'm skeptical. It fronted on to a tree and bush grotto thing so it was an amazing spot.

Carbonara balls, with aioli for some reason. Not a great combination.

I had the tortellini with radioactive pea sauce - this more than made up for the aioli atrocity.

Louie had the Burrata pizza which was a bit much, bloody great ball of mozzarella, pistachios and flaps of ham-adjacent meat sogging up the base.

There is a mall thing right next to the restaurant so we had a look into the Farmers Market supermarket. 

These things were massive, and I think a hell of a lot cheaper than NZ. 

Bananas are more expensive here, but they have six different varieties! 

They've also got the shiniest apples I've ever seen. These bastards were polished.

In the background is a woman who insisted on educating me about mangos, and I am now aware that Honey Gold mangoes are the best type, and they are expensive in this market. I would have bought a bunch but I didn't want to feature in the next series of Border Patrol with mangoes hidden internally.

After all this, they didn't have what we were looking for (Sugar free Solo) so we had to go to the Woolworths next door.

That ends the second to last full day here, tomorrow promises 36c, 90% humidity and possible heavy thunderstorms and rain so that sounds special.